Sunflower
by Harvest Dragon
Summary: Cam never cared much for the company of others, and would rather seek out beautiful flowers than socialize uncessarily, much to the dismay of his friends. When a bright-eyed farmer comes to town, Cam is uncharmed, but will he find the flower he's been looking for in her...? One-shot.


**Sunflower**

_AN: Ah, yes, me again. I wanted to try my hand at a one-shot, and I have had this idea swimming in my head, so I needed to get it out. Cam and Lillian from ToTT is great, and they deserve a one-shot. Enjoy!_

_HarvestDragon_

* * *

She was so oblivious…I guess I wouldn't be one to talk though.

Her way of enjoying life was enviable, with the way she seemed to glitter through life with such ease…at least some people would envy her, if not more.

Of course, she attracted people to her like honey to a bee…so there was no really reason for her to pay attention to me…personally, I didn't want her to. But I must've committed some sin against the almighty Harvest Goddess, because she seemed to pay attention to me especially…

"Hello? Do…do you run this flower shop?" She had asked me as I was tending to the flowers I would sell that day, and I had swallowed an extremely sarcastic remark with difficultly. Instead I turned with one of my false smiles plastered on my face and replied with disgusting sugariness:

"Yes…would you like to-"

"I'm Lillian!" She had interrupted me with a glimmer in her gray eyes as she adjusted that ridiculous orange bonnet on her head. "I'm the new farmer that moved here! So you sell flowers?" She craned to see the flowers I tried to hide unsuccessfully behind me.

"Ah…! How pretty…!" She said with a smile. "Such pretty flowers…! What's your name, flower boy…?"

_Flower boy…?_ "It's Cam…" I replied, and turned back to my flowers. "Um, I have to work on my-"

"Well, I'll see you later, Cam!" She had interrupted me again, and dashed off with a ridiculous amount of spring in her step. I sighed, unable to shake the feeling that I'd be seeing her around a lot…and soon.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

For a couple days, I only saw her here and there, and she'd always be smiling and laughing like she was on opium. I went along with my business but I couldn't help but notice how she would seem to always have a kind word for anybody she would meet. I found it rather disturbing. Laney found her cute, as did Howard, which I didn't agree with at all.

On Thursday I went for a stroll, hoping to find some flowers for the house, when I heard her behind me. "Cam…?"

I turned reluctantly towards her, only to have blue petals assault my face. "Um, I found this and…I thought of you...I want you to have it!"

The lovely blue petals were the perfect shade and shape, with a heavenly aroma. I looked at the girl with a critical eye and her gray eyes were filled with only child-like sincerity. "Um…thank you…" I replied awkwardly, as I took it from her hands. "I really like this."

"Ah! Really…! I'm happy…!" She had said with unnatural eagerness. "I'll…I'll see you later, okay?" She pumped my hand up and down with vigor.

"Um…" but I didn't waste my breath, for the girl was already gone. "…Sheesh…" I had muttered, and looked at the flower as my cheeks felt a little warm. "She's way too happy…"

When I told Laney of what had happened, she giggled.

"She's so friendly, that girl…" she had told me. "She's a breath of fresh air, she is…!" I shrugged it off, annoyed for no good reason as I retreated into my room, and was extremely determined to avoid talking to her anymore.

The farmer was back the next day, with another lovely aromatic flower, that smile plastered across her face. "Here you are, Cam…!"

I took it, against my better judgment, and from then on, no matter how cold my reception, she'd give me a flower, unfailingly, everyday. Mondays I looked forward to. My days of escape from the strange spell she weaved with that smile…

Her flowers, dipped in the magic of her smiles, were becoming rather different to my eyes, as they seemed to glow with the magic of the sun itself. I didn't know what these foolish notions were that seemed to prance around in my head more and more often, but I knew she was the source of it. I wondered if I was sick. Something inside me told me I was…

It had been a whole year before I knew it. She had been here a whole year already…and I noticed how close she and Ash were growing. It was something I hadn't noticed before…and the affection that he showered upon her was greatly noticeable. His own sister was growing extremely jealous of the two's closeness, going as far as to sabotage their dates from time to time. I tried to ignore it, but the looks that Ash threw her way so frequently now were as plain as daylight. So the next day, when she came around with her flowers, I asked her.

"Do you…like someone?"

Indirectly.

"Huh? Whatcha mean, flower boy…?" she asked with a confused blink. I sighed, pulling my cap over my eyes in embarrassment.

"Nothing…um. Hey...Lillian…?" I inquired rather timidly. "Would you come on…a walk with me…?"

Her usual stunning smiles were nothing compared to this one that I witnessed now, and I wanted, irrational as it seemed, for her to smile like that more often. "Let's go…!"

We talked for a while, and to my amazement she was an excellent conversationalist, well-learned in many subjects, and I felt idiotic for marking her out as a ditzy fake before… Then and there I resolved to make it up to Lillian, unbeknownst to her of course, that I would be more of a person towards her.

-0-0-0-0-0-

"…You've changed a bit, Cam." Laney commented one day.

"Mmhm….?" I replied distractedly, adding white rosebuds to the red rose bouquet I was currently in the middle of. "What was that?"

"You're a lot more…open, you know…" she clarified. "I mean, still a recluse, but your definitely more humanish now."

"You're lucky I live in _your_ house…" I threatened, with no real seriousness in my voice, and Laney knew it too. She smirked, and with a swish of her skirts she was gone. Muttering to myself, I resumed work on the bouquet. _Have I…really changed at all…?_

Soon the door to my room opened again, and I sighed in frustration. "What is it now…?"

"Cam…?"

I turned at the sound of Ash's voice. "Ash? The flower shop's closed today…"

"No, um, Cam, I'm here about something else…" he had stammered out, his cheeks redder than the sun. "I…I think I like someone."

I stared at him blankly, and his cheeks seemed liable to fall to the ground as ripe cherries any moment. "Like, more than a friend like, Cam…"

I flinched away from him violently, my eyes widening in horror. "So help me Harvest Goddess, it better not be me-"

"Oh, goddess, NO!" He yelled, his whole face red. "Arrow, Cam, arrow…! No, um, I think I like…Lillian…"

I froze, the calm calamity rushing over me like a black wave. "What…?"

"I…like her a lot…" he continued, oblivious to my turmoil. "I…I'd love to date her…even if it was for just a day…"

The thunderous roar in my ears snuffed out his words. _He…likes….Lillian…?_

…_Of course he would, there's everything to like about her. What does it concern me at all…?_

"So I was wondering if…you had any tips…since she seems to like you a lot…um, Cam…? You in there…?" Ash asked loudly, pulling me out of my sea of chaos. "Do you have anything to say…? Anything…at all?"

I sought words of wisdom. Hope. Perhaps encouragement towards his pursuit of romance.

I shook my head. "Nope."

With a sigh Ash headed out the doorway, slamming the door behind him with force that threatened to shake a few of my vases. I immaturely blew a lip raspberry in frustration, knowing I had hurt him with my feigned indifference.

It seemed like I couldn't ever manage to uplift anyone close to me…

The next day was incredibly awkward, as Lillian rushed up to my flower stand. "Flower boy…I mean, Cam! How are you?"

I almost smiled at her ridiculous nickname for me before turning my back on her bouncy visage. "Fine."

"You don't look like it…is there a problem?"

_Yeah, my best friend may very well be head over heels for you and I don't even know how I feel about that. _"…No."

"Oh, come on, you can tell me!" She urged, and a brilliant half-truth sprung to my mind.

"Well, business hasn't been as good lately, and I think it's because of my treatment of customers…" I said smoothly, and she frowned.

"Oh…well, if that's what has you in a hole, I'll definitely help out!" She replied eagerly, and I blanched in horror.

_Crap on a biscuit… _"Um…" _with gravy…_ "Yeah, you can help out..." _and chicken fingers…_ "If you really want to…" _Good goddess, why am I not shutting up?_

"Yeah! Alright, let's do some selling!" She sang, moving right beside me as she came behind the counter. I could feel her hip brush mine with our close proximity, and tried my best to ignore it as she cheered me on.

"Come on! Lemme see your customer-attracting skills!" She said with an eager grin, and I winced. "R-right then…um, well…"

Taking a breath, I called rather moronically to the townspeople, my stutter annoyingly persistant. "C-come one come all to Cam's F-flower Sh-shop!" My cheeks burned miserably as Lillian fixed me with her gray gaze, I assumed disappointedly. I spilled it all out before I could control myself.

"See, I'm just not cut out for this job," I said accusingly, angry at her for making me feel so helpless and foolish. I turned away from her, pulling my hat over my eyes. "I can't do this…"

"You can do it Cam! I believe in you!" She urged, and I looked at her in bewilderment. _She…believes in __**me**__…?_

"…Thanks for the support…" I answered truthfully. "When I'm with you, I…do things I'd normally…never do…" my cheeks began to flare at the utter sappiness of my words, but Lillian seemed happy, her smile radiant.

"I'm happy to hear that," she said with that smile, and for an instant I felt something lurch within me. Then I shook my head and cover my tomato-worthy face with my hat. "Let's get selling, then…!"

"O-ho-ho? What a lovely duo you two make! Energetic as always, eh?" Mayor Rutger approached us now, his blue jacket billowing in the breeze.

"Mayor! Would you like to purchase some flowers…?" I asked confidently, and he chuckled.

"Cam, you've really changed…" he said with a fond sigh. "You're so much more approachable, my boy…and I really think Lillian is to thank for that…"

I looked at Lillian, who looked quite puzzled. "Um, you think so Mayor…?"

"Yes, most certainly! Ah, to be young and in love…" he said wistfully. My ears flamed while Lillian was blissfully indifferent.

"I-I-I think you're taking this the wrong way…Mayor…" I stammered out, blushing extremely hard. The mayor only laughed and then smiled.

"I'll purchase the roses, if I may…" he decided, and I quickly constructed a bouquet for him before handing it over. "Ah, many thanks, my boy…" and with a wave of his winged walking stick, a tip of his green bowler hat and a wink meant for me, the old man was gone. I turned to Lillian, fully embarrassed.

"Um, s-s-sorry the mayor got the wrong idea about u-us…" I stammered uselessly, and she looked at me in a confused manner.

"Huh? What do you mean?" She asked.

"O-oh! Well, if it doesn't bother you, um, then it's fine with me!" I blabbered, my cheeks a dangerous red now. "L-let's get to selling…" Lillian smiled at me with a giggle.

"Okay Cam, let's sell!" She agreed with a nod and proceeded to yell at the top of her lungs.

-0-0-0-0-0-

Afterwards, I had treated her to tea, miraculously selling all my wares. When she had left, Laney took her place across from me, her glare ice-melting in all its fury.

"You…you like her, right…?" She accused me straight out. I blinked.

"What…" I started to protest but she cut in swiftly.

"You've never laughed or smiled like that…and I've known you my entire life!" She continued. "You…you were _laughing_, Cam! That…that…is…you've never done that for me!" she finally burst out, and I sat there dumbly as she pointed a finger at me. "You're freaking blind, Cam! Blind as a bat…all of these years and you stay buried in your flowers, but when she showed up you…you start liking her instead of…!"

With a gasp she slapped her hands over her mouth and got up. I followed her motion, concerned for my best friend.

"Laney…?" I inquired, but she turned away from me and fled upstairs, leaving me alone and somewhat hurt. "What…did I do…?"

The next weeks were dull for me, with Laney completely rejecting my existence, until around midday one Friday afternoon when I heard Lillian's bouncy steps behind me.

"Cam…!" she called to me, sing-song like. I sighed, irrationally annoyed.

"What is it…?" I said, reverting to my icy ways. She blinked, surprised by my sudden coldness, but continued on.

"I made a bouquet! See, see, and I was wondering what you'd think of it…!" she said and proceeded to thrust a beautiful rose bouquet under my nose. She had complimented the roses with one another in an extremely lovely manner, and the aroma was enticing as well. "Do you like it?"

She stood so close; her breath fanned my face as she stared up into my eyes, awaiting a response from me. My heart was doing a strange war-dance within my ribs, and oxygen was a foreign concept to me at the moment. The circuits in my brain fizzled, popped, and then exploded, my cheeks turning an irrationally flustered pink. I stumbled back, embarrassed, as she stared at me quizzically.

"Are you alright, Cam…?" She asked. "Is the bouquet that bad…? Hm…"

"N-n-n-no, that's not it…" I stammered half incoherently, pulling my hat over my eyes. "Um…I just have to go take care of something now. With Laney, and uh…"

"Oh! Look Cam, a kitty cat!" She exclaimed, cutting my wretched excuse off as she pointed to the left of me. I perked up a bit, and looked to see a black cat with white paws pacing up and down, mewling desperately.

"Oh…!" I instantly melted at the sight of the creature, and bent down as to not appear threatening. "Come here, I won't hurt you…"

With a mewl the cat threw itself at me right into my arms, and I clutched it to my chest. "There there, little one…"

Lillian watched with me with awe. "You're a natural with animals, Cam!"

I chuckled nervously, unsure how to receive the praise as I stroked the cat soothingly. "Um, I…thank you…?"

Lillian zipped up to my side. "I think it's lost…it has a collar…" she commented, pointing to the fancy blue collar around its snow white neck. "Let's look for its owner!"

"T-together…?" I asked as she pulled me along. She turned to look at me, and her cheeks pinked the slightest bit.

"Why not?" And with that, we were off.

-0-0-0-0-0-

"….We've looked everywhere…" I commented rather despondently, and she sighed at my words.

"You're right…" she mumbled, and her eyes lost their spark for a brief moment before leaping back alive more fierce than ever. "But we don't give up, even when it looks hopeless!"

I looked at her, her eyes wonderfully bright, and my heart did a funny lurch. "…Of course…you always know how to keep me uplifted…" I admitted as my face turned red. She looked slightly shocked, and then her own cheeks turned a vibrant pink.

"…I'm glad, Cam. You seem less lonely nowadays…" she said, a bit abashed. "I…I saw you with such a sad face all the time…except when you had flowers. Then…then you looked happy. So that's why I give you flowers all the time…" she looked away from me, embarrassed. I blinked, rather amazed at her.

_She was so concerned…about a person she barely knew…_

"Lillian…"

_This feeling in my heart…I think…_

"Yeah…?" she replied as my face grew hot.

_I think I…_

"Nico? Nico, dearie, where are you…?" Someone called in a worried voice. Lillian and I both turned to see an elderly lady walking slowly, looking in every nook and cranny she could find. The cat meowed happily in my arms at the sound of her voice, and leaped out of my grasp to plod up to the woman who ggasped in shock.

"Nico…! There you are; I was looking all over for you!" She chided. "We're going to be late boarding now…" She looked up to see us standing there, and she blinked.

"Um, hello…" I greeted her a bit tentatively, and she suddenly began to beam.

"Why, were you kids taking care of little Nico for me…?" She asked, and Lillian bobbed her head.

"We were so worried we wouldn't find his owner, but we kept looking, just in case…" she explained as I nodded along. The woman smiled.

"Oh, well, you're such a benevolent young couple…I wish I could thank you properly, but I have to go…" she commented. I blushed as Lillian blinked at her assumption.

"Um, thank you…?" I ventured, feeling the sudden cloud of awkwardness descend on the two of us. "And don't worry about it; it was our pleasure."

The woman bowed respectfully. "Thank you…but we really have to go now…come along Nico!" She called as she began to walk away hurriedly.

The cat turned to follow but not before looking at me, and then Lillian, with a human-like glint in his eyes, and with a meow he scampered off. I blinked, a bit stunned, before turning to Lillian.

"Um, it seems like people like to…um, mistake us for a, um, couple, a lot…" I stammered out pathetically, pulling my hat down over my eyes in mortification. She smiled and tipped my hat back in place, uncovering my eyes.

"You do that when you're flustered…" she commented with a grin. "It's…pretty cute."

I blanched, beyond blushing at this point, and turned away from her teasing grin. "Yeah right…" I snipped coldly, trying to mask my awkwardness, and began to walk away. She followed him doggedly, a smile on her face. As we reached town square, I whipped around to face her. "What is it?"

With a giggle she reached up on her toes and leaned forward to kiss me on the cheek chastely. My face turned a dangerous, crimson red as random symbols flashed before my eyes in strange patterns, and my heart felt like it had stopped altogether.

"Thanks for today, Cam…it was fun today because of you…" she admitted sheepishly, her own cheeks red. "Haha…um, gotta fly…!" She excused herself and fled as I opened my mouth up and down in a robotic manner, baffled and flustered beyond human comprehension as I tried regaining control of my wild emotions.

With a shake of my head, I looked after her, only to see Ash staring after her as well, his face melancholy. I wondered, worriedly, if he had seen Lillian's friendly kiss, but when he looked at me, his dumbfounded eyes were all the evidence I'd every need. He looked hurt. Saddened. And worst of all, betrayed.

He turned and walked into the barn before I could utter a breath of regret, and I naturally followed him, only to find him facing the barn wall in a creepily vapid manner.

"Ash. She was just being friendly, you know..." I said defensively, and he whipped around with a disbelieving look on his face, as if he couldn't believe what I was saying.

"She's never kissed me."

Silence descended on the two of us, and he sighed. "I was an idiot to think I could compete with you…"

"What? Compete…with me…?" I repeated, and he snorted.

"Don't act blind. She likes you, and you like her, correct?" He said, and I blanched.

"Are you crazy…?" I protested, my cheeks feeling hot. "She doesn't….!"

"Do you like her?" He inquired, watching me intently. I faltered, unable to answer.

"I…I…I don't know…!" I said, getting angry and rather steamed. "How the heck am I supposed to know? My face gets hot every time she gets close to me, sometimes she's so dorky…and, and she gives me flowers, and I put them up in my room and I feel weird around her, and when people call us a couple, I honestly don't mind it, but I'm afraid she does and…" I slapped my hands over my mouth, thorughly emabarrassed, and Ash blew out a puff of air.

"You do." He stated simply, and then smiled a bit. "As much as I like Lillian, I think you need her more than I ever would," he commented. I looked at him, baffled by the sudden change in attitude. "What do you mean…?"

"You've changed Cam. You would've never come to me like this before and be so open. And caring…you're a lot more open with your sensitive side now…" Ash smiled, and poked me in the forehead. "And you smile more. You don't know how happy that makes me."

"Ash…" I muttered as he grinned cheekily.

"I'm giving you permission now. Go get her!" He commanded, punching me in the arm with a smile and turning to face the wall once more. I blanched, utterly confused.

"You like her, though…" I said protestingly. He nodded.

"I do. Perhaps I'm even in love with her. But, seeing you guys happy will last me all my life," he said finally. "You don't realize how she smiles at you Cam…it's like seeing the sun up close and personal. She likes you, and if you don't go for her after this major pep talk, I'll kill you."

I looked at my best friend with admiration, and wrung my hands. "I'll do my best, Ash."

He turned to grin at me. "Now get out, and GO ALREADY!" He roared, and I made my way out swiftly, one thing on my mind.

_I like Lillian…_

This ran through my head as I went home and as I arranged my bouquets, never ceasing.

"So, what're you waiting for?"

I turned to see Laney standing in my doorway, her arms folded in a cross manner. "Laney…!" She had not spoken to me since the incident, and I was ecstatic at hearing my best friend's voice again. "What are you saying…?"

"Why don't you be a man and confess already?" Laney said. "Before she gets taken away by some other man. And…if you won't tell her your real feelings, I'll at least tell you mine."

She came closer, and kissed me on the cheek. I blushed a little, surprised and dumbfounded. "Wha…? Laney…?"

"I like you, Cam. I've liked you since we were kids, and I knew you weren't too much happier with me around. You grew up, as did I, and you grew colder, more distant, and I knew hope of you ever reciprocating my feelings was growing dim. And then Lillian came along, and your very being became brightened by her in a way I only dreamed of…" she crossed her arms again and glared at me. "So no matter how I feel about you, I want you to be happy above anything else…"

She sniffed as tears pooled in her eyes and she tried to blink them back. "So go now, before I change my mind!" She yelled at me, and I hightailed out of that room. Behind me, Laney wiped away a few tears and chuckled. "That sentence works every time…" She sighed, melancholy now. "Goodbye…my first love."

I sprinted, unsure of where I was to go and what I was to do. I ran out of town, past the farm and into the mountains, by the fishing river where the moon illuminated brightly onto the clear waters. "This is crazy…she's asleep by now, I bet…" I muttered, but a voice made me raise my head in curiousity.

"Please, will you…forever I will…"

I caught snippets of their speech as I followed the voice, trying to figure out who it was. As I got closer, their speech grew clearer, but the voice echoed too much to identify who it was.

"No no no….that sounds stupid…um…please, stay by my side! N-no…too demanding….um…"

I blanched. Was someone practicing a proposal…?

As I stepped into a clearing the person, shrouded in shadow turned, with a blue feather in their hands.

"Would you accept this blue feather, Cam?" They exclaimed as they posed. Familiar gray eyes widened in shock upon seeing me, and I gawked in disbelief.

Lillian and I were eye to eye, the blue feather poised in her hand dramatically. As we stared at each other, our cheeks seemed apt to exploding in shock and embarrassment. I, surprisingly, regained my voice first.

"You…you like me…?" I said, my voice filled with hope. She bit her lip.

"Um…well, I guess you found out…" she replied, fiddling with her fingers. "I…I was practicing, see, um, if we ever…you know…if the time came, I could maybe…!"

I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly, in awe of how this girl was more of a man about her feelings than I was. "Well, um…I like you back," I confessed lamely as her lovely face brightened infinitely in the inky blackness.

"Really? You like me? You really do like me?" She exclaimed, her voice nothing less than euphoria as she gazed at me, her gray eyes twinkling in the moonlight. I nodded, and took a breath.

"No, I don't like you, Lillian. I don't think 'like' quite covers how I feel…" I said bravely, letting it all out. "And if you like me at all...I'm luckier than any four leaf clover."

Tears of joy pooled from her eyes as she tackled me, my cap flying off my head with the force of her hug. "Cam…!"

I held her close, my face beyond the red spectrum, and tentatively ran my fingers through her hair as our hearts both beat spastically, the two of us new to the strange emotions surging through our veins. The moon shone on her face as she pulled back a bit to look up at me, and the smile on her face was like the sun itself, shining brightly from the beautiful flower I knew as Lillian. A thought struck me as I unconsciously leaned closer to her face.

She's a sunflower…

I smiled a little bit at the silly thought, and Lillian, her eyes half shut, pulled at my lapel and closed the distance between our…

Cheeks…? I was baffled as she rubbed her cheek against mine briefly.

"What…?" I articulated my feelings as she giggled, and pulled out of my embrace with a cheeky smile.

"You don't have your hat to hide your face this time," she said as she reached up to kiss me square on the nose. My cheeks were turning an impossibly royal purple at this point, and I was sure my heart was no longer functional. As she stuck out her tongue at me, I rushed forward with a playful growl and she squealed as she fled. I followed her with a laugh, and even though the moon shone down brightly on us, I could only think of the sun.

* * *

_AN: Longest. One-shot. EVER! I didn't know when I would stop typing! Maybe I'll write a Yu-gi-oh! fanfiction sometime [EDIT: I really did. XD] …and I hope you enjoyed this! I think you probably felt trolled at the end, as did Cam… XD_

_He-he-he…._

_Sayonara, HarvestDragon _


End file.
